When Everything Changes
by The Plural Of Yes
Summary: The summer has finally come to an end and Dipper and Mabel have to leave Gravity Falls. Still haunted by the summer's events the new school years brings challenges the twins aren't prepared to face and as they struggle to keep their heads above the waves one of their teachers starts to take notice of their odd behavior.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.

* * *

All good things end.

The summer couldn't last forever and the day came for the bus to take them back to California. For a second the spell Gravity Falls had cast over Dipper broke and he was left to face the bleak reality. Tears were shed and a sense of melancholy descended on the group. They couldn't delay the inevitable though, and after saying his final goodbyes Dipper slowly put one foot in front of the other, the railing cold under his palm and climbed the towering stairs of the bus, Mabel at his heels.

Dipper pressed his face against the cool glass, waving to the friends and family they were leaving behind. Mabel was waving over his shoulder, the frantic movements reflected in the glass. They watched together as Gravity Falls faded into the distance. Too soon for Dipper's liking, the town disappeared from view and only the thick forest along the road remained.

"It's really over," Mabel said quietly, squeezing the pig in her lap. "We're leaving Gravity Falls." A sob escaped her and she rubbed furiously at her eyes.

Dipper wrapped his arm around his shaking sister and pulled her towards him. "There's always next summer, this isn't goodbye forever." But his voice was hollow even to his own ears.

Sniffing Mabel laid her head on Dipper's shoulder. "It sure feels like it is."

The twins lapsed into silence. Leaning against his sister, Dipper listened to the rattling of the bus as it drove down the dirt road. Eventually, Mabel was lulled to sleep and Dipper relaxed into her reassuring warmth. Even if they didn't have Gravity Falls, they still had each other. He glanced down at the envelope in his hand, _to: Dipper_ , the blue ink spelled. Wendy's words echoed in his mind, "Read this the next time you miss Gravity Falls." With trembling fingers, he slowly tore the envelope open. The paper inside was folded and he carefully pulled it from the confines of the envelope.

"See you next summer," was scribbled across the paper, surrounded by the names of all their friends. A smile broke out on Dipper's face and tears welled up in his eyes. Choking back a sob he let his fingers trail over the writing of his friends. His eyes were drawn to Grunkle Stan's messy scrawl, "Come back soon!"

"I hope we do," Dipper whispered to the silent bus as he stared down at the paper in his hands. "I really hope we do."

He folded the paper and returned it to its envelope, tucking it safely in his backpack. Giving one last glance to the world outside the dirty glass of the window he collapsed back into the purple vinyl seat and closed his eyes.

* * *

The sun had already risen when the bus pulled to a stop. Even with the beams of light dancing through the breaks in the trees the twins slept, slumped against one another.

"Piedmont California!" the bus driver called.

Mabel was the first to open her eyes, blinking at the bright light that flooded the bus. "Dipper… I think we're here."

With a yawn, Dipper raised his head from where it had molded to the bus window. The blurry sign for Piedmont glared back at him from beyond the glass. Rubbing his tired eyes he gave his sister a small smile, "I suppose so." Grabbing their bags they slowly made their way off of the bus. Waddles trotting behind them. Staring at the oh so familiar sign for the town in which they had been raised Dipper shuddered, he just wanted to go home. Freezing he glanced at his sister from the corner of his eye, when had Gravity Falls become home? Behind him, the bus's engine gutted to life and he and Mabel turned and watched as the Speedy Beaver drove away.

"Come on," Mabel said, bumping him with her shoulder. "Mom and Dad are probably waiting."

"I guess." Dipper didn't move though, watching as their last connection to Gravity Falls disappeared down the road. Waddles squealed from beside him and he looked at the pink blob cuddled in his sister's arms. Mabel had made no attempt to follow her earlier statement and instead stood alongside him, her eyes trained on where the bus had faded from view. Picking up Mabel's pink spotted suitcase from where she'd dropped it Dipper turned away from the road.

"You're right," Mabel spun to look at him and he gave her a jaded smile, "We don't want to keep them waiting."

Dipper led the way to the parking lot beside the bus stop, Mabel trailing closely after him. The old blue Chevy Dipper thought was older than himself was parked underneath the large dogwood tree beside the visitors center. "Mom! Dad!" Mabel yelled, setting Waddles down and running towards the car.

Following her at a slower pace Dipper made his way over to the ancient Chevy. The driver's side door creaked open and his mother got out of the car. "Kids! I've missed you both so much!" She embraced Mabel in a fierce hug and opened her arms to hug Dipper as well.

"But where's Dad?" Mabel asked when the group broke apart. Looking around Dipper couldn't find their father either.

"Oh Sweetie…" Their mom placed her palm on Mabel's cheek. "You know how your father job is, there are just some things he can't be pulled away from."

Dipper scoffed under his breath, their dad hadn't seen them all summer and couldn't even bother to come welcome them home. He plastered a smile on nonetheless and lay his hand on Mabel's shoulder, "I'm sure he'll be home for dinner, right Mom?"

"Of course," she said and stood up to open the car door for them. "Wha- is that a pig?"

"Waddles!" Mabel said happily, beaming up at their mom.

"Grunkle Stan said he had to put up with him all summer and that it was your turn," Dipper said over his sister's shoulder, arms crossed. He wasn't going to let his parents take this away from Mabel. She'd already been through so much this summer and didn't need their parents making it any worse.

Looking from Dipper to the pig now nestled in Mabel's arms his mom cleared her throat. "I guess... There's probably somewhere we could put him." Mabel squealed with joy and squeezed the animal in her arms. Jumping into the car Mabel settled into the graying seats with Waddled tucked in her lap.

"Thanks Mom, he really means a lot to her," Dipper said softly, lifting Mabel's suitcase into the car and climbing in after it.

"We're going to have to set some rules when we arrive home," his mom told them as she got into the driver's seat, the door slamming shut after her.

As the car started and the radio began to blare music Mabel turned to Dipper. He had to strain his ears to hear her as she whispered, "I miss our family, the one we left in Gravity Falls."

"Me too." Dipper's eyes were trained on their mother and the empty seat beside her, "Me too."

* * *

The screaming was what woke Mabel up. "NO! Stop! Noooo…"

"Dipper? What's going on? Are you okay?" She scrambled out of bed, her pink covers decorated with rainbows falling to the ground. Sliding into the hallway she slammed Dipper's door open and flicked his lights on, only to find Dipper alone in bed.

"Dipper?" She hovered in the doorway, looking around for whatever had caused Dipper to scream.

"No…" Dipper whimpered from the bed twisting further into the covers. Abandoning her caution Mabel raced to her brother. A sheen of sweat layered his skin and he shook his head back and forth, still muttering "no" under his breath.

A nightmare, she thought to herself. "Dipper, you need to wake up. Whatever you're seeing, it's not real. Come on Bro bro, you need to open your eyes." His eyes didn't open though, instead his cries increased.

Grabbing his shoulders and digging her fingers into his faded red shirt she shook him, "Come on, wake up!"

Dipper's eyes snapped open, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Bill, Mabel watch out! He's-"

"It's okay Dipper, he's gone, you're alright." Mabel's whole body relaxed and she pulled her brother into a hug. "It was just a nightmare."

"Mabel?" Dipper's voice shook as he sat in his sister's embrace. His voice wasn't the only thing shaking though and Mabel tightened her hold on him, burying her face in his hair. "It was only a dream Dipper, you're okay, we're both okay."

At this Dipper did break into sobs, winding his limp arms around his sister. "I thought, Bill was-" He broke off, unable to finish his sentence and Mabel clung to him all the more.

They lay together, wrapped in each other's arms until Dipper's tears dried and he could speak without breaking into tears. "I-"

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me," Mabel said quietly, "I understand." She slowly helped Dipper sit up. Leaning against the light blue wall she squeezed her brother's hand reassuringly.

"I don't," Dipper said, while his voice was normally calm and collection now it shook and cracked. It broke Mabel's heart. "It's been a week since weirdmageddon, why are the nightmares starting now that we're home?"

Mabel closed her eyes and let her head rest against the wall. "I think it's because in Gravity Falls we felt safe, even though that's where B-Bill took over we knew we had our friends to protect us. Here, we're all alone. No one understands what we've been through."

Dipper let out a broken laugh, "Is it sad that this isn't our home anymore? We've spent all of our lives here yet we no longer feel safe."

Mabel was quiet. What he said was true. They'd only been back a day but already their house seemed to lack the warmth the Mystery Shack had possessed. "We went through a lot with the people there, I think…" She paused and looked at her brother beside her, "I think Gravity Falls will always be our home and the people there our family."

"Yeah," Dipper said, "I think you're right." Silence descended on the room and Mabel was lost in her memories of nights spent scheming in their attic bedroom. Days spent fight monsters in the woods.

"I don't know about you," she said to Dipper, "But we have five hours until we have to get ready for our first day of school and I, for one, am not going back to sleep." Jumping off the bed she grabbed a pen and a piece of paper off of Dipper desk. "I'm going to write a letter to Grunkle Ford asking for some unicorn hair, wanna help Bro bro?"

Dipper gave her a tired smile and beckoned her back to the bed. "Of course."

For the rest of the night, the two siblings sat across from each other on Dipper's bed, bright smiles and laughter filling the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.

* * *

William Browning had been teaching for 11 years. He'd learned how to manage even the rowdiest kids and perfected the art of keeping his students diligent.

It was because of this that he was found on a bright sunny Tuesday morning putting the last stack of papers in place at his new job at Piedmont Middle School.

The ringing of the bell brought a mess of chaos and confusion. Standing outside the classroom he helped the other teachers guide students to where they needed to be. By the time the third bell had rung the halls were empty and he entered his classroom, ready for anything his students could throw at him.

The beginning of the day passed quickly and William was able to welcome his first two periods to the new school year without a hitch. It was third period when things started to decline.

The floor lacked the crumpled papers that would soon build up as the year progressed and the desks were clear of any junk kids would eventually stuff in them. William relaxed into the soft swivel chair he had brought from home, sinking into the worn blue cushions as he waited for the students to arrive. There was something exhilarating about the first day of school. The students were still excited and ready to learn, they hadn't grown tired yet.

The heavy wooden door creaked open and William looked up from his desk. "Welcome!" His smile stretched across his face as he jumped from his chair to greet the two children that had just entered his classroom. "I'm Mr. Browning, 8th grade English. I hope you're in the right room." He gave both kids a playful wink. Neither returned his smile though and his eyebrows drew together. They were both wearing matching frowns despite the girl's cheerful vibrant pink sweater adorned with a shooting star. Frankly, he was shocked at their drained expressions.

The slightly taller of the two gave a lingering glance around the room before she finally spoke, a strained smile plastered on her face. "I'm Mabel and this is my brother Dipper, I'm pretty sure we're in the right place." Her brother slouched further, ducking back into her shadow to escape from William's gaze. Glancing away from the boy now hidden behind his sister, William surveyed the schedule Mabel held out.

"Yep, that's me alright," he said eyes scanning the paper, his voice a little less chipper. "Take a seat anywhere."

Mabel gave him what might have been a grateful smile and headed to the back of the classroom, her brother not far behind her. William watched them set their bags down with a gentle thud and quietly start to converse. Twins, he thought shaking his head. Even so, he glanced back at them, there was something off about them.

The chatter increased by his door and a short red head bounded into the room followed by a larger blond. Turning away from the twins he clapped his hands, "Welcome to 8th grade English!"

* * *

"Now that we've got the rules over with, it's time for introductions," William said, grinning at the class as they broke into groans, how he loved this part. "I'm going to read off names and then they're going to be thrown," he gestured to the colorful ball on his desk, "This beach ball and then they're going to tell us how their name is actually pronounced and what they did over the summer."

"Curtis Andrews." And so it began. Slowly the kids warmed up to the game and William leaned back on his desk, smiling broadly, as his kids shared their summer vacations excitedly with the class.

"- it was really fun," a boy named Jonathan finished, tossing the beach ball back to William and taking a seat.

He thanked Jonathan for sharing and read the next name off his list, "Mabel Pines."

The brunette sitting in the back of the classroom stilled and looked away from her brother. "Catch!" He flung the ball across the room. He didn't see her raise her arms and for a second it looked as if she wasn't going to catch it at all. However, in a flash she was out of her seat, the ball in her arms.

A curly haired boy in the front whistled and clapped. "Good catch Mabel, I hope you're still gonna be part of the ping pong club this year," the boy said, grinning at the sweater clad girl.

William watched cautiously ready to interfere as Mabel shifted, avoided the boy's eyes. "Sorry… I-," William followed her gaze to her brother whose head lay buried in his arms atop the desk, "I'm actually a little busy this year," she finished glancing sheepishly back up. "Sorry."

William cleared his throat and was glad to see his students' attention snap back to him. "If you wouldn't mind saving this conversation for another time, I believe Mabel was about to tell us about her summer."

Mabel swallowed and William watched as her eyes darted around the room. "Well, uh, we visited our Grunkle- Grunkles," she corrected herself quickly, "up north." William didn't miss the fleeting look she sent her limp brother, heavy with implications he couldn't decipher.

When she didn't continue William thanked her for sharing and caught the beach ball as she tossed it back. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she nudged her brother awake. "Mason Pines," he read, hadn't Mabel said her brother's name was Dipper?

His confusion must have been obvious as Mabel quietly spoke up from the back. "He goes by Dipper, Mr. Browning."

"Thank you, Mabel, though I do believe your brother can speak for himself."

Pink crept up Mabel's neck and she lowered her eyes as her cheeks were dyed a vibrant red.

Looking back to the boy beside her William raised his voice, "Dipper? Care to tell us about your summer?"

Dipper lifted his head from the desk and stared straight into William's eyes.

He almost had to take a step back. The gaze locked with his own contained a swirling darkness, the haunted brown eyes didn't belong on someone so young and William was stuck, staring into their depths. William was regrettably the first to look away and as he studied the specks of color decorating the tile floor he could hear Dipper's chair scraped against the floor. When the dread pressing down on William's chest began to slowly dissipate he forced a smile and look back up at the class. Dipper was now standing, his eyes shadowed by his drooping bangs.

Not sure what to think of the despondent boy William tossed the ball to him, eyes focused on the spinning colors rather than Dipper himself.

When he spoke his voice was hollow, barely above a mumble. "I visited my great uncles with Mabel." His voice did not shake, though as he retreated back into the dark green seat William saw his hands clasped tight into fists, pale and trembling.

* * *

The rest of the class passed fairly quickly, though William kept an eye on the Pines twins the whole time. There was something seriously wrong with their behavior and he was determined to discover the source. Abuse? Was something going on at home? He resolved to ask their teachers from previous years. Surely they would've noticed something off about the pair.

As the bell rang announcing the end of the period William lost sight of the twins as they joined the flood of students pouring out the door. Soon he was distracted by another student asking directions and the Pines were tucked away into a corner of his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.

* * *

The first day of school had been horrible. Dipper had to force himself forward as he followed the broken concrete sidewalk towards his house. His sister trudged beside him, her shiny black flats scraping against the rough ground. Shoulders slumped Dipper heaved his backpack further up. The khaki bag weighed at least half his body weight already and the bulky textbooks crashing against his back with each step reminded him of the school work that was about to pile up.

"Dipper," Mabel tugged on the fraying sleeve of his t-shirt, "What are we going to do about gym and math?" Staring at the dark lines beneath his sister's sunken eyes Dipper realized for the first time how much stress they were already under even without school. His lips pursed and he focused back on the path ahead.

"I- I don't know." Gym and math were the only two classes they didn't have together and Dipper had no idea how they were going to handle it. Throughout the summer they'd always had each other's' back and to have to pretend everything was normal without his twin was not something he wanted to have to suffer through.

Stepping across the freshly painted crosswalk Dipper caught sight of the pale yellow siding of their house.

"Finally," Dipper heard Mabel mutter under her breath and then she had taken his arm, dragging him towards the empty house. His wrist began to cramp under her fierce grip but he allowed himself to be hauled towards the familiar house. Passing under the swaying branches of the towering oak tree Dipper let his free hand drag over the initials carved into wood. He and Mabel had used the pocket knife they'd found in the kitchen drawer to write them at the beginning of the summer. It seemed like such a long time ago.

"Shoot." Dipper turned to peer up at his twin who had taken the higher position on the stoop.

"Do you have a key? I forgot mine," she smiled down at him sheepishly.

Grinning at Mabel's foolish expression he gently tugged the sleeve of her fuzzy pink sweater. The soft fabric clutched loosely in his hand he led the way around to the back of the house, his navy blue canvas shoes growing dark with the moisture still coating the grass.

"There's usually a key-," he said to himself, looking through the small flower beside the back door for the miniature stone cat.

"Found it!" Mabel was on her hand and knees in the dirt, waving the statue at him. Picking up the key from the deep imprint in the ground Mabel set the cat back down.

She placed the dirt covered key in his palm and Dipper tried his best to wipe the mud of its surface. Instead, the muck just smeared, getting stuck in the grooves. He glared down at the filthy piece of metal and inserted into the doorknob, the golden coating chipping off in his hand. With and ominous creak the rusty hinges gave way and the door swung open.

Padding into the dark room, Dipper pushed his shoes off. The lights flickered on as the switch moved beneath his fingers.

"I put the key back." Mabel spoke softly behind him and gave her an appreciative smile.

"How do you do it?" Dipper spoke suddenly. "At school you act so normal I-"

His vision grew blurry and he swallows the growing lump in his throat. Earth surrounded him and Dipper found his sister buried in his arms.

"It's okay Dipper, you're okay," she said, voice muffled by his t-shirt. "I just think about how I acted before."

"I can't even remember before." His voice was scratchy even to his own ears and numbness slowly sunk in. He couldn't remember not jumping at every sound or not warily checking each shadow for hidden figures. He couldn't remember a time when simple geometric shapes were just that and he couldn't remember looking in a mirror and not expecting to see glowing yellow orbs staring back at him.

"I so sorry Dipper, I-I should've been there for you."

The desperate look in her eyes shattered something deep inside him and warm tears began to spill from his eyes. Tightening his hold on her he spoke softly into her chocolate hair. "You pulled through, you always do."

But was it soon enough, echoed through the air unsaid.

* * *

For the first time since Dipper had been home the house was filled with noise. Music poured from the speakers in Mabel's room flooding the house with songs from the 80s and she sung along happily, screeching the words in Dipper's ears. As the current song finally came to an end Mabel hopped of Dipper's bed, dragging him off behind her.

"Come on!"

"Mabel, wait-." He sighed as his sister vanished into the hallway. Her calls for him to hurry up ringing through the woodwork.

Entering the blinding pink room, he made his way other to his twin. "What are Mom and Dad going to say about this?"

"Don't be such a downer Dip-Dop, now help me move-" Her voice was cut off as she dropped the side of the mattress she had been attempting to remove from pale bed frame.

Lifting the mattress off of his sister he smiled down at her as she lay half buried in the plush hot-pink carpet, "You get to explain to Mom."

"Deal!"

30 minutes later they had managed to drag the mattress into the hallway. Dipper's muscles groaned with the effort as he tried to pull it forward another inch. "I blame you."

"Uggghh, why didn't anyone tell me mattress are heavy, I thought they'd be like giant marshmallows," Mabel said as she collapsed next to him, hitting the wall with a thud.

"They should come with-" Dipper sat up quickly. "Do you still have those roller skates?" Moving the enormous cushion would be so much easier if it had wheels.

"Of course!" Mabel jumped up from the floor, almost tumbling back down in her haste. She returned with a pair of what Dipper knew used to be yellow skates a few seconds later, covered in a layer of dust herself.

"Now if we just balance the mattress on top of them…" Dipper said quietly, more to himself than his sister.

Together the two twins were able to move the mattress out of the hallway and into Dipper's room. Leaving it propped up against his navy bedspread Dipper toppled onto the dark wood floor. "Finally."

"We still need to move the bed frame," Mabel said cheerfully and he let his head hit the ground.

* * *

By the time their mother got home from work Mabel's bed had been successfully transferred into Dipper's room and he never wanted to see any more bed linens for the rest of his life.

A car door slamming outside the house announced his mother's arrival. "Oh! Maybe she has Waddles!" Mabel almost screamed and raced out of the room, her fuzzy socks letting her slid across the wood floor. Dipper set his book down on his bed, carefully so not to bend the pages, and followed his sister down the stairs. Even if everything else in his life had changed the stories he had read again and again growing up hadn't changed.

The glassy wood banister was cool to the touch. He watched through the railings as Mabel flung the door open to greet their mother. He watched as the smile dropped off her face as she realized Waddles wasn't in the car.

"He's still at the vet darling," his mother glanced at her watch, "We can pick him up tomorrow." She patted Mabel on the head before bustling into her office across the hall.

"But…" Mabel paused and turned away. The front door shut with an almost inaudible click and Dipper made his way down to his sister. Hooking his arm around his sister's shoulders they stood together watching their mother type away at her computer, her face bathed in a blue glow.

Mabel relaxed onto him, her head hitting his shoulder with gentle thump. "There are groceries in the car," she said without looking up at him. Her voice wobbled as she spoke.

"Ok." Dipper didn't move.

"You'd think that," Mabel wiped her nose on her sleeve, "that after having us gone all summer they'd want to spent time with us."

Dipper's gaze stayed locked on his sister as she watched their mother with unfocused eyes. "At least we won't have to explain ourselves to them."

Mabel's laugh was bitter, possessing an edge Dipper had never attributed to his twin, "Only because they don't pay attention to us, and even if they started now, they probably wouldn't notice anything different."

Releasing Mabel from his grip he drifted towards the front door. "Come on Mabel, we don't want the ice cream to melt." His sister gave one last lingering glance to their mother before following him. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

* * *

It was long past dinner time when his father finally pulled into the driveway, headlights pouring into the darkened living room through the front blinds.

"MOM!" Mabel leaped up and dashed out of the room, startling Dipper from his spot on the couch. "Dad's here can we eat?"

Slumping back into the worn purple cushions Dipper allowed his eyes to drift shut. Mabel's chatter from the office bleeding through the walls. His stomach warbled and he sat back up. Pasta, their mother had promised to Mabel before they had left for school that morning. The front door slide open, the looming figure of Dipper's father making his way inside.

"Hi kids!" Dipper watched from his seat in the living room as the man hung his long coat on the hooks beside the door and turned just in time to catch Mabel in his arms.

"Dad!"

Their father spun Mabel in a circle before placing her down. "And where is your brother young lady."

"Right here." Dipper slumped out of the living room, careful to stay out of the rage of his father's arms.

"Can we eat now?" Mabel tugged on their fathers sleeve.

His laugh was deep, genuine in a way Dipper hadn't heard since they'd left Gravity Falls. "Of course Sweet Heart, sorry to have kept you waiting."

Mabel's smile was not much more than a painted mask but their father didn't seem to find anything amiss as they moved into the kitchen, Dipper dawdling after them.

Just as his mother had promised they had pasta for dinner. Mabel scraped a huge pile onto her plate before covering it in something Dipper hoped wasn't sugar. Scooping a small serving onto his own plate Dipper focused on Mabel, avoiding the gazes of his parents.

"So," their father began, "You wrote us some quite creative letters Mabel."

"Hm?" Mabel looked up from the mess on her plate, "What'd you say?"

"The letters," Dipper spoke for the first time, "The one's you sent from Gravity Falls."

Her eyes widened and her fork clattered back to table. "Oh-h right." Dipper could feel the hesitation flowing off in her waves. Maybe before B-b, maybe before Weirdmageddon Mabel would have loved to have shared the crazy stories of Gravity Falls, but now, as Dipper stared into his sister's panicked eyes he knew it wasn't something she could do anymore.

"They're just stories we created, well that Mabel created really." Dipper slouched further down into the chair as his parents shifted their gazes to him.

"So the universe wasn't actually almost destroyed by reversed gravity?" The corner of his father's mouth had risen into a smirk, and his eyebrows were arched gracefully.

"Of course not," Mabel cut it, the tension leched out of Dipper's body as the attention returned to his sister. "That does remind me though, Dipper and I decided that since we, uh, we shared a room at the Mystery Shack it was kinda weird to not share a room here so we may of move my bed into his room," her voice speed up the more she spoke and the words blended together.

"You may of?"

Dipper almost winced at their father's tone. He could hear Mabel swallow from across the table. It might not of been far to make her explain it.

"It's just like a giant sleepover," their parents still wore frowns, "Umm, well we didn't s-scratch or break anything, oh! And we'll put everything back when we get bored!" Mabel finished, bottom lip clamped between her teeth.

"I suppose…" their mom glance to their dad, "As long as everything's put back when their finished it should be fine."

A buzz resounded around the kitchen cutting the discussion short. "Oh!" Their mom stood up from the table, her chair scooting back with a screech. "I have a conference call starting soon, Honey could you please help the kids with the dishes?"

"Of course, Dear."

Then she was gone.

"Oh, now that your mother's mentioned it," Dipper's father glanced down at his watch, "I actually have a couple calls I have to make myself. Will you kids be fine cleaning up by yourselves?"

"Of course Dad," Mabel said smiling as she stood up to clear her dish. It was only after their dad had left the room that Dipper heard her mutter, "We do everything in this house by ourselves anyway," under her breath.

Why Mabel still tried to get their parents attention he would never understand. After all, he had given up years ago.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.

* * *

It was 7 o'clock when William finally pulled up to the rustic blue house in his aged sedan. Light was flooding from the window, brightening the dark night with its soft glow. Closing the car door he journeyed up the front porch. The front door flew open before he could begin to get his key out of his jacket pocket.

"William!" His wife's silhouette stood in the door frame before she had pulled him into a kiss.

A rush of affection flooded the exhausted man and he released his grip on his briefcase to envelop her in a hug. "Nice to see you too Sharon," he said against her lips. She laughed and broke out of his hold, her hand encircling his in a blanket of warmth.

"Come on, dinner's on the table." Sharon tugged him through the door and into the main hall.

"Wait, my briefcase-" Sharon soft laugh swirled around him as she lifted the worn case in the hand not captured in his own. Relaxing into the euphoria radiating from the woman he had married William allowed her to pull the jacket from his shoulders.

As soon as they had tucked William's things into the already cluttered closet beside the stairs, Sharon was dragging him into the kitchen. The warm yellow walls brightened the small room and the with a small push from his wife he found himself sitting in one of the wooden chairs they had managed to not break during the move. The card table they have covered with a fade cloth was overflowing with small white containers and William took in the smell with a happy sigh.

"Chinese?" William beamed at his wife. After the day he had at work, this was perfect.

Sharon laugh rang through the room like wind chimes in the breeze and the tension escaped from his body. "I asked one of the woman I work with if there were any good places in town." She winked at him. "Let's see if this place is up to our standards."

"I know how picky you are about your Chinese," William said grinning at his beautiful wife.

Sharon slapped a hand to her chest. "Me?! If I remember correctly Mister, you're the one who refused to go back to the place on Florence because they put too much soy sauce in your egg fried rice."

"Are you sure that wasn't you?"

"Am I sure-" Sharon tugged the take-out container she had been holding closer to her. "You're not getting any of my sesame chicken then,"

"Noo! Not the sesame chicken." William batted his eyes at the smirking woman across from him. She raised her eyebrow. "Fine, fine, so it might have been me who was picky about the rice," he said, giving her his best pout.

"Might have been?"

"Ok, it was me."

"That's better." Sharon beamed at him and slid the chicken back across the table. William dumped some of the delicious smelling food onto one of the paper plates they'd managed to dig out from the bottom of a box.

Stuffing more rice into his mouth he glanced up to find his wife studying him. "What?" He asked around the mouthful of food, voice garbled.

"Oh my God, could you be any less mature?" Swallowing the rice he'd been chewing William stuck his tongue out at the smiling woman. "Of course not," she said under her breath, but the words held no malice.

William wiped away the last remaining grains of rice from his face with the floral napkins from some event they had held many year ago and set down the plastic spoon he had been using to shovel food into his mouth with.

"How was your first day of your second week of work?"

Sharon didn't look up from her plate. "For an English teacher you sure aren't very eloquent."

"Well for a lawyer," he smirked at her, "you aren't very persuasive."

"Hey!" William kept laughing even as Sharon's floral napkin hit him in the face. "I am very persuasive, thank you very much." She huffed and took a bite of the chicken on her plate. "You on the other hand… well you need to work on your acting skills."

William's eyebrows furrowed and he drew himself up in his chair. "What do you mean?"

"Please," Sharon rolled her eyes "You've been acting off all night, did something happen at work?" Her voice grew softer and she reached across the table, capturing William's hand in hers she gave it a light squeeze. "I know the first day of school is stressful."

"It was the normal chaos," William intertwined their fingers together.

"But…?" Sharon asked, her voice soft, hand warm in his.

William didn't speak for a second, lost in his thoughts. Memories of brown-haired twins dancing through his mind. Their curt words and eyes cast in shadows. "There are these two kids," he started, "twins actually, and there's just something off about their behavior."

The frown on his wife's face grew and the pressure on his hand increased. "Are they…" she paused and William watched as she struggled to find the right word. "Are they in danger?" Her tone had taken on a sharper edge, one he had come to know as when she met business.

William shook his head. "Not any immediate danger as far as I could tell, but I'm going to keep my eye on them."

Sharon's frown relaxed slightly and she let out an exhausted sigh. "Of course, and you always have Patrick to talk to."

"I'll make sure to call him if anything happens."

"Good." Sharon released his hand with a final squeeze and stood up from the table, the chair scraping against the cheap linoleum tiling. William let his hand rest on the plastic table-cloth for a moment longer, the warmth from his wife's hand seeping into the air, before pushing his chair back as well and grabbing the flimsy paper plate to dispose of.

By the time they had cleared the table of all the stacks of take-out containers that had been threatening to topple onto the ground it was approaching 9 and exhaustion was slowly sinking into his bones. Collapsing on the couch, William sunk into the cushions with a content sigh. Sharon had turned the TV on and the gentle murmurs of the figures on the screen filled the room. He leaned towards his wife and lay his head on her shoulder.

"What are we watching?" he asked quiet, unwilling to break the gentle calm that had descended over the household.

"Some drama about politics or something," came her soft reply, her shoulder vibrating beneath his head as she spoke.

William allowed his eyes to drift shut. "Wonderful."

Sharon's shoulders shook with silent laughter and he grumbled as him pillow moved beneath him. "Come on." He heard the TV switch off and then his wife was pulling him up from his warm seat of the couch. "We're both too tired to get anything down tonight."

He let her help him up the stairs, each step harder than the last. When the chilly wooden floor turned into a thick carpet, William let the weariness take over the moment he found the bed he was out.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry about the length, school's been keeping me busy. Thank you to everyone who has followed/favorited/commented, it means a lot to me.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.

* * *

An obnoxious beeping broke through the fog filling Dipper's mind. The sharp noise sent a searing pain through his head and he sat up with a cry, burying his head in his hands. Flashes of the nightmares that had kept him up past dawn flashed across his vision and tears slipped from his tightly clenched eyes.

"Dipper!"

The voice bounced around inside his head, pounding against his already throbbing skull. A whimper escaped him and he curled further into himself. A warm hand settled on the back of his neck and he froze, body tight with tension. All he could see was Bill floating above the wreckage of Gravity Falls, maniacal laughter ringing through the air.

"Dipper, you're safe. You're in your room in Piedmont." The warmth on his neck spread across his back as someone settled behind him. Soft arms encircled his curled body and Dipper let himself fall back into the warmth, tension slowly draining from his body.

"Mabel?" Dipper's voice shook and he sluggishly pried open his eyes, trying to see if the small figure behind him was indeed his sister.

"Hmm hm," she hummed, running her fingers through his tangled hair. He winced as they hit a knot but allowed his sister to keep petting him after she had untangled it. Surprisingly, the constant pressure of his sister's fingers on his scalp was calming and the sleep that had eluded him the night before now welcomed him with open arms. His eyelids fluttered shut and the overwhelming brightness of the room melted into darkness.

The fingers in his hair stopped and Dipper let out a confused hum. "Come on Dipper," Mabel said softly from behind him, "We have to get ready for school."

The weight that had evaporated from his mind was suddenly back, a crushing pressure against his skull. The voice screaming in his mind to forget school and spent the rest of the day in bed dissipated as Mabel unwound herself from him and tugged him from the bed. As soon as she had let go of his arm, Dipper's legs gave out beneath him, the limbs numb with exhaustion.

When Dipper open his eyes again he was met with the dark wood of his floor, the cold surface pressing against his cheek, and Mabel frantic cries. Fingers sliding against the cool wood he managed to heave himself back against his bed, the metal frame digging into his back.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean-"

"It's not your fault," Dipper cut his sister off, giving her the biggest smile he could muster. But from the way her face only seemed to droop more it must have not been very convincing. He glanced down at his legs. They prickled with pain, the numbness was starting to wear off. "I just didn't get enough sleep…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, me neither."

Dipper's gaze jumped to his sister, who had crouched beside him. She was right. The dark bags beneath her eyes had grown and the smile that normally lit up her face was absent, her skin pale even in the golden morning light.

"We can survive school though," she said, and a tiny spark of determination was burned in her tired eyes.

The smile Dipper gave her must have been better than his first for her face softened and she stood up, hand extended down to him. Without a second of hesitation Dipper slid his hand into her's and let himself be pulled to his feet. The floor swayed beneath him before finally settling into one solid surface. Giving his sister's hand a tight squeeze he left to find acceptable cloths.

* * *

Luckily, the bus hadn't been crowded and Dipper had managed to sit beside his sister. He had also been able to get in a couple moments of precious sleep before jerking awake from dreams of bloody massacres.

Dipper had let his sister steer them through the bustling halls of the school and push him into their first classroom. Now they sat beside each other in the back of the empty classroom, Dipper's vision fading every few seconds, threatening to cast him back into unconsciousness.

"Give me your arm," Mabel spoke from beside him as she pulled her pencil pouch from her backpack, plopping it down on the desk.

Brows furrowed Dipper scooted his chair closer to his twin's desk, wincing as it scraped along the ground. Mabel hummed her approval and maneuvered Dipper's arm how she wanted it. Wrist up towards the ceiling, Dipper collapsed back into the stiff chair. The hard plastic tug into his neck but the dull painted gave him something to focus on other than the constant throbbing of his skull so he let it be.

The ceiling was speckled. An off-white color dotted with grays, reds, and green. In fact, the ceiling tiles looked very similar to the ones that lay under his feet, though the ones above him lacked quite as many stains. Near the front of the room there was a large red stain stretching across the ceiling. As Dipper sat staring at the red darkening the ceiling, it began to grow. Faster and faster it covered the tiles above him until it stretched from wall-to-wall. It grew darker and blood began to drip from it center. The whole room was bathed in the red liquid as it poured onto the walls, flooding the floor-

"Dipper!"

The blood disappeared. Eyes wide he stared at the small red stain on the ceiling.

"Dipper…"

He forced his gaze away from the stain and to his sister. Her face was a ghostly pale and she had dug her fingernails deep into his wrist where it lay across her desk. Dipper noted that the arm his sister had attacked was shaking, vibrating against the wood. He lifted his other hand from where it had hung limp at his side, it was shaking as well.

"What happen?" Mabel asked quietly, her voice rough.

Dipper clenched his free hand into a fist and gave his sister what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Nothing, I'm alright."

Mabel's lips were pursed tightly, eyebrows furrowed. "Sure." She loosened her grip on Dipper's arm, retracting her nails from his flesh leaving small bright red crescents in their place. When she looked back up at Dipper her eyes were filled with concern and he had to glance away, unable to hold her stare.

"Just- just know that you can trust me okay? If there's something wrong please tell me," Mabel said, her voice stronger, "Please."

"Of course I trust you, and- and if there's something wrong," Dipper took a deep breath, "I'll tell you, alright?"

Mabel squeezed his arm, "That's all I need."

Dipper's smile was hesitant, just a small curl to his mouth, but Mabel must have seen what she was searching for as she gave him a beaming smile of her own and turned back to the front of the classroom. He sunk back into the seat, glad to be out of his sister's scrutiny, and allowed his eyes to drift shut. Noise poured into the room from the cracked open door and the sharp click of Mabel uncapping her pens flowed around him. He froze when the cool tip of a pen touched his wrist. Slowly, the pen began to swirl across his skin, pressing lightly into the flesh.

Dipper cracked his eyes open to find Mabel bent over his arm, focused on the vine she had begun to create along his wrist. For a second he watched his sister work, her nimble hands adding detail line by line to each leaf. He let himself relax into the soothing touches and closed his eyes, letting the room sink into a gentle darkness.

* * *

Dipper's eyes snapped open as the clamor outside grew louder and the classroom door swung the rest of the way open. A small girl stumbled into the room, a large backpack hanging from one shoulder. Dark, frizzy hair all over the place her lip was caught between her teeth as she lingered in the doorway. Her gaze finally reached where Dipper and Mabel had collapsed in the back of the room and her eyes immediately brightened.

"Mabel!" Her voice bounced loudly around the empty room and Dipper winced as the throbbing in his skull increased.

Dipper glanced to his sister who had stopped doodling on his arm and had been lying half across the desk, her face buried in her arms. She was now staring straight at the grinning girl who had begun to bound over to them.

"I was so worried I wasn't going to know anyone," the girl continued, "Especially since I missed the first day of school, how lame is that? I told my parents I could take the train back a day early but they wouldn't hear it. But you're in my class! Isn't this so exciting Mabel?" Her curls bounced as she spoke and she didn't stop to hear his Mabel's reply before she was launching into a rant about how boring her cousin's wedding had been and how she should have been allowed to skip it.

"Though it was kinda cute when they kissed," she finished, the smile threatening to overcome her face not wavering for a second. "Anyway, how have you been?"

Mabel had opened her mouth to reply when the girl seemed to notice Dipper for the first time. Spinning away from his sister she turned her sights on Dipper. "Who are you?" Dipper hadn't finished comprehending the question when her dark eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! You're Mabel's twin aren't you? Dipper?" Dipper had barely nodded before she was wrapping herself around him.

He sat frozen in chair, eyes locked on the front of the classroom as her small frame covered his. His chest grew tighter and tighter with each passing second and it was getting harder to breathe. Just when black spots began to dance across Dipper's vision the girl released him and the pressure on his chest lightened.

"It's so good to meet you! I'm Mabel's friend, Becky." The girl looked from one twin to the other beaming brightly. "Mabel's told be so much about you," her nose scrunched, "I was so sad when I didn't to meet you last year."

Dipper listened to her rambling as he tried to catch his breath. This was the kind of thing that he didn't need. While Becky continued to jabber on about what sounded like how she and Mabel met Dipper turned to his sister. Her face was just as pale as he imagined his own was and the mask she had taken to wearing since they had gotten home was beginning to slip, revealing her growing panic.

The dread running through Dipper's veins faded into the background as he studied his sister's breaking facade. Swallowing the fear rising in his chest he turned to look at the animated girl still chattering away in front of his desk. "Becky," he started, hands twitching as his side, his brain telling him to shut up, "It's Becky, right?" At her nod he rushed into his next sentence, "We have to talk to, uh," Dipper glanced at the whiteboard, "Ms. Freschner before class but Mabel left her water bottle outside. She's really worried someone might take it."

Becky gasped and spun back to Mabel. "Is this true? Why didn't you say something earlier? And what does it look like? Is it your one from last year?" Mabel nodded and Becky dumped her back in the chair beside her. "I'll go look for it now then, save me the seat?"

"Of course," Mabel said, a smile pasted across her face, "Thank you."

"Anything for my BFF," Becky sang as she spun around and dashed out of the room, leaving only Dipper to see his sister's wince.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, taking her hand in his own and massaging it.

The smile she gave him was a little more real. "I just miss Candy and Grenda a lot."

"And?" Dipper gave her hand a light squeeze.

"And I suppose I don't know how to act around my old friends anymore, they haven't changed but," she gestured to herself, "I've changed so much, I'm-" her voice broke and she let out a choked sob, breaking Dipper's heart, "I'm not the girl they became friends with anymore, I don't even think she still exists."

"It's okay," Dipper paused, "Actually it's not okay, but it's going to be, and you don't need to force yourself to be the girl they remember you as, alright? You've changed, we both have, and there's nothing we can do about it. We don't have to pretend that we're the same people who left for Gravity Falls all those months ago."

"But don't we?" Mabel looked up at him, tears threatening to overflow past where they had pooled on her lashes. "If we don't act the same won't people notice? And- and then what if they try to make us explain? What do we do then?"

"We have each other, Mabel, whatever happens next we can face together."

* * *

 **AN: Five chapters down and so many more to go... Constructive criticism is welcome. But please, make sure it's constructive.**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing and all rights belong to Disney and Alex Hirsch.

* * *

Dipper traced the elaborate vine that weaved around his forearm. The vibrant green ink stood out on his pale skin and the bright yellow flowers Mabel had accented the vine with were a sharp contrast to the blue of his veins. Once, his skin had held the tan of summer afternoons spent exploring the woods with Mabel but weeks of hiding inside had seeped the color from his skin. His fingers had stopped trailing over the intricate lines and instead dug into his flesh. Slowly, he relaxed his grip, though the dark red marks he had inflicted upon himself did not lessen.

"Mabel!" A loud bang rang through the classroom as the door slammed open. Dipper's breath caught in his throat and he gasped for air.

"Dipper!" The voice sounded far away, lost in the fog around him. "Dipper what's wrong?" Harsh ringing filled the silence and Dipper clawed at his ears, begging for it to stop.

Through the pain Dipper could hear faint murmurs and a warmth that had settled on his back. Mabel, he tried to cry, but his lungs still couldn't fill with air and the call was silent. Trapped in a muffed world of white fog, Dipper struggled to focus on the hand rubbing his back. The pressure was accompanied by distant, soothing words yet try as he might he couldn't understand what was being said.

The hand on his back didn't leave him and as air finally filled his lungs Dipper found himself leaning back into it. Indistinguishable words became a chain of "It's okay, everything's okay," repeated over and over He forced his eyelids open, fighting against the weight that held them closed.

Mabel's face blurred into focus before him and Dipper's vision jumped from her pale skin to her eyes, wide with panic.

"Is he alright?" the words were spoken from somewhere over Mabel's shoulder and Dipper froze, eyes glued to his sister's.

"It's just Becky," Mabel said under her breath as Dipper struggled to force down the panic bubbling through his blood. Her hand was now a steady pressure in his own and Dipper swallowed the growing lump in his throat as his sister turned to the girl behind her. "Yeah, everything's fine," Mabel glanced back at him, "you just startled him that's all."

Becky's lips were pressed into a firm line, but she nodded her head. "I couldn't find your water bottle," she said finally, eyes still locked on Dipper. He turned his head away, trying to escape the searching gaze. "Sorry."

Dipper felt Mabel flinch beside him, guilt rolling off her in waves. "It-it's okay," Dipper gave her hand a light squeeze and she cleared her voice, "I'll probably find it tomorrow." Her voice was stronger and she gave his hand a returning squeeze.

* * *

They sat there for what felt like hours in a gaping silence. Becky had long since collapsed into the chair beside Mabel and was now fidgeting with her pencil, glancing between Dipper and Mabel. Dipper turned his head away from her scrutiny, afraid of what she might see if he dared to lock eyes with her.

As the minutes passed, more student came pouring through the classroom door, filling the silence with loud, senseless chatter. It was almost comforting, how easily the mindless murmurs around him distracted from the nightmares that had begun escape his nights and haunt his waking hours.

The third bell rang with a muffled chime, hidden beneath the chaos of the crowded room. It wasn't until a tall, willowy woman in the front of the classroom called for order that Dipper's classmates begun to find their seats. Ms. Freschner, Dipper recalled as he stared at the teacher. Her lips were moving a mile a minute yet as Dipper tried to focus on her, no sound reached his ears.

Turning his eyes from the older woman Dipper glanced at Mabel. She would tell him if anything important was said later.

The desk was cool beneath his cheek as he lay his head down on the wooden surface. Surely nothing too important would happen on the second day of school.

* * *

Mabel was worried. They weren't even ten minutes into first period and Dipper had already had two panic attacks. There was something very wrong with her brother and she had no idea how to fix it. Turning away from the teacher, who had been going on about classroom rules or some other nonsense Mabel had ceased to care about, Mabel studied her brother. His head lay on his desk and his eyes had fluttered shut. Dark bags hung beneath his eyes and Mabel had to look away, a violent anger building inside her. Even in sleep Dipper couldn't relax, his hands tightening into fists, bitten nails leaving behind stark red crescents. The anger Mabel felt for everything that had ever dared to hurt her brother surged through her veins.

"You alright?" a quiet voice asked from beside her and Mabel closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath to cool the fire burning within her.

"Of course." She turned to Becky. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The look Becky gave her was not one she had ever expected to see from her happy-go-lucky friend. It was clouded with suspicion, a wariness Mabel was not familiar with. "No reason." Becky spoke slowly, each word layered with meanings Mabel didn't want to understand. This wasn't what she wanted to happen. She didn't want to drive her friends away.

Mabel opened her mouth, to say what, she didn't know. Then the panic came crashing down in waves. The urge to protect her brother from everything that had happened, and the urge to protect herself from it as well. She closed her mouth.

Becky's mouth dropped into a frown and she turned away from Mabel. The terror grasping at Mabel's throat increased, was this what it felt like to lose a friend?

Mabel tore her gaze away from the frizzy-haired girl, trying to push down the guilt, the dread building in her chest. She had Dipper nothing else mattered. Her eyes still itched though, and the moisture building up on her lashed refused to go away. Choking down a sob she looked to her brother. He was still lost in sleep, but his hands shook, betraying the peaceful façade. Mabel lifted up her own hand. It was shaking as well.

* * *

Dipper had yet to open his eyes when the bell rang, announcing the end of class. Mabel dismissed Becky with a wave of her hand as the other girl gave her a rushed wave goodbye before fleeing the classroom with one last lingering glance at the twins.

Mabel was reluctant to end the sleep Dipper so desperately needed, but the rest of their classmates were quickly draining into the hallway and Mabel was weary to be left alone with the teacher who would no doubt tell Dipper off for sleeping in class.

"Dipper," she gave Dipper's shoulder a light shake, "Come on, class is over."

Dipper groaned in response and shifted further away from her. Ms. Freschner had begun to eye them and Mabel gave her a tight smile before grabbing her brother more forcefully. "Come on, Dipper."

With a final tug Dipper stood up from his chair, Mabel grabbed him as he almost toppled down again. Careful not to drop her unsteady steady brother, Mabel picked both of their backpacks off of the floor and then slowly began to make her way out of the classroom, Dipper leaning heavily against her.

The hallway was a stumbling rush of people and Mabel winced, she was never going to be able to guide Dipper through that without dropping either him or their stuff. "Mabel?" Dipper said from beside her, his voice almost lost in the racket of the hall.

"Thank God you're awake." Mabel set their bags down beside the classroom they had just exited and slowly helped Dipper straighten until he was standing on his own. "Can you walk now?"

Dipper rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gave Mabel a tired smile, "Of course." He looked around for a moment before his eyes found the backpacks at Mabel's feet. "I can take my backpack now too."

"Are you sure about that, Broski?" Mabel teased as she handed over the bag, "We can have you fainting from overexertion in the middle of the hallway."

Dipper rolled his eyes at her and heaved the bag onto his shoulders. "Very funny, Mabel." He glanced around the hall, "Now, do you remember how to get to the computer classroom?"

Mabel laughed, the anger within her chipping away as she relaxed into her brother's company. Maybe her old friends didn't understand her, but Dipper certainly did.

* * *

 **AN:** **I'm not longer failing math! Anyway, I'm so sorry for the long wait. This chapter, short as it may be, was a dosey to write. All comments and suggestions are welcome!**


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